Soaking pit



W. T. DEAN soAKING PIT April 9, 1940.

Filed May 6, 1939 'Patented ,Ap-r. 9, 1940 UNITED STATES a soAxiNG rrr aWilliam T. Dean, Gary, Intl.v

,Application May s, 1939, serial No. 272.231

' s claims. (el. 26e-3s) e This invention relates to soaking pits and,more particularly, to improved means for closing the bottom portionthereof through which the scale from the ingot heated therein is usuallyremoved.

In conventional pits usedprior to my invention the openings forthedischarge o fingot scale were usually closed by means of 4small oarswhose wheels ran on anges of supporting beams or,I al

duced byv warpage thereof or by distortion of the plates occasioned bydropping ingots thereon.

When the closures of the prior art fail, it becomes necessary to closethe pit bottoms with `metal sheets thrown over the holes from above andto cover them with suitable refractory material. presents a serious riskto workmen who, of necessity, must enter the space underneath the pit.

The problem ,of effecting a satisfactory bottom closure for soakingpitshas been before the for many years, yet prior to my' invention an un-Awith movable closure members which can be readily and safely openedfroma remote point.

These and more detailed features ofA the invention will be apparent fromthe following disclosure, the accompanying drawing and the" ap-` pendedclaims.`

In the drawing: Figure 1 illustrates a transverse section through asoaking pit embodying the 'present invention; Figure 2 is an enlargedsection on. line-II-II of Figurel; and

Figure 3 is a view on line III-III of AFigure 2. 'Referring in detail tothe drawing, the numeral I0 represents conventionally the upright wallsof the soaking pit which enclose the pit or chamber l2 adapted toreceive ingots I4. The pit chamber is normally closed by aconv'entionalftype of removable sliding cover I6 mounted onwheels i 8 traveling on asuitable convention-al type of track 20.

The present invention is concerned chiefly with the bottom structure ofthe pit. This includes a openings formed in the webs of the I'beams;This practice is a haphazard one and l arranged, any load on the gatemembers will tend move in opposite directions.

`the utilization ofsegmental gear-like membersl/y bottom plate 22preferably in the form of a rolled steel plate. This plate is aperturedat 2 4 and is pierced by a thimble, indicated as a whole at 26. Thisthimble is provided on its exterior with a laterally extendingsupporting ange or lug 6 28, the u nder surface of which engages theupper surface of the plate 22. The thimble is preferably formed of caststeel, The upper portion of the thimble extends substantially orapproximately to the level of the upper surface 30 of the layer of firebrick 32.

The rolled steel bottom plate 22 is mounted on a plurality ofhorizontally disposed rolled steel members, such as the I-beamsrindicated at 34.

Gates or closure members 36 and 38 are supported by respective hangers40 and 42 which in turn are pivotally 'suspended from trunnion pins 44and 46,'the latter, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated,being supported in suitable 2 'I'he gatesor closure members 36 and 38are *o lpreferably provided with removable or replace-A able shoes 36and-38a which can be replaced as they become badly `burned or worn inpractice. This does away with the necessity of discarding 2 the maingate members 36 and 38 due to normal 5 .wear and tear occasioned bythe-destructive actionof the hot scale handled. l'

The structural arrangement and disposition of the parts is such that therespective centers of gravity of the gates or closure members 36 and 38are located substantiallyor approximately in vertical alignment withthecenters of rotation of the hangers; that is, in vertical alignment withthe centers of the pinsi 44 and 46. As thus to hold them in closedposition. In other words, they will be biased against an openingmovement because the weight of material on the shoes will not beveiective to exert a turning moment on the 40 Preferably the hangers areprovided with means whereby movement imparted to one will be transmittedto the other so as to cause them to a In the embodiment of the inventionillustrated this means involves '41)a and 42a which are integrallyformed with or/ otherwise secured to the hanger arms ,40 and 42. I'Preferably means are provided whereby the closure gates may be openedfrom a point remote from the discharge end `of thel thimble,l ,In theembodiment of the invention illustrated, this means takes the form ofana extension arm 48 on the hanger 42 which is connected by an ex-` ofhot scale discharged from the furnace.'

' Such As illustrated in Figure 3, the lower extremity of the thimble isprovided with two arcuate portions 58 and 60 concentric with the pins 44and 46, respectively. The shoes 36a and 38n are correspondinglyarcuated, and clearance spaces 62 and 64 are provided between the lowerarcuate extremities of the thimble and the opposed surfaces of theshoes. This is to allow for freedom of expansion and contraction and toprevent binding or wedging of the parts. In operation the brick bottom32 of the pit is coveredl with a fairly .thick layer of coke breeze, asindicated at 66. Thelcoke breeze llsthe thimble 26 and normally closesthe clearance spaces'62 and 64.

lling serves to insulate the hanger operating and supporting elementsfrom intense internal heat of the pit chamber I2 and also serves theadded function of cushioning shocks incident to disposing ingots on thebottom. Obviously this is an important function in the event the l ingotis too quickly dropped or lowered when loading the pit from the usualoverhead crane. In the described structural arrangement of the presentinvention it is apparent that the by merelyremoving it fromthe aperturedbottom plate; likewise the arcuate gate shoes can be readily 'removedwithout occasioningany serious dismantling of the parts 'orwithout occasioning the shut down of the'soaking pit for any appreciable length oftime. Thus the present invention overcomes inherent. disadvantages inthe soaking pits heretofore available tothose skilled in the art. WhileI have described quite specincally the embodiment of the inventionillustrated, it is not to be construed that I am strictly limitedthereto, since various modifications and substitutions. of equivalentsmay be made, without departure from the invention as defined intheappended' claims.

1. `.A pit furnace having a bottom plate of steel supporting a brickbottom, a separate steel thimble supported by said plate, said thimblehaving arcuate portions at its lower extremity, 'a pair of arcuateclosure members spaced to clear Dsaid lower extremity of said thimble,and means for Simultaneously moving said me'mbers from vand to closedposition.

2. A pit furnace having a metal bottom plate,

a separate metal thimble piercing said plate and having a supporting lugresting on said Aplate.'

pivotally mounted closure means for the bottom of the thimble, and meansoperable at a safe distance from the discharge end of the thimble forimparting an opening movement to said clo- Sure means.

3. A pit furnace having a bottom plate of steel supporting a brickbottom, a separate steel thimble piercing both said bottom and saidplate, said thimble having a lateral extension whereby it is supportedby said plate; a pair of closure members, and pivot means for supportingthe latter located above the central portions thereof.

4. A pit furnace having a bottom plate 'of steel supporting a brickbottom', a separate steel thimble supported ,by said plate, a pair ofclosure members, and pivotal supports for the latter car- -ried bystructural means independent of said by structural means independentf'ofsaid thimble and located in the median zone between said plate and saidclosure members, coacting means forcompelling the closure members tomove si- 'members pivotal supports for the latter carried multaneously,and actuating means vtherefor remote from the thimble.

6. A soaking pit furnace of the character described having a rolledsteel "bottom plate, a cast steel thimble piercing the latter and havingan outwardly projecting portion making a bearing engagement with theplate, closure gates for the bottom of the thimble, respective pivotalsup' ports for the gates located in the median zone between said plateand said gates, hangers for the gates depending from the pivotalsupports,

"and coacting gear segments secured to said hangers. 7. A soaking pitfurnace of the characterde scribed having a rolled steel bottom 'plate,a caststeel thimble piercing the latter and supported thereby, abeamdisposed above the bottom of` and extending transversely of saidthimble,

and a pair of closure gates geared together and pivotally hung .fromsaid beam.

8. Asoaking pit furnace of the character described having a rolled steelbottom plate, acast gates from a point remotefrom said thimble.

9. A soaking pit furnace of the character d evfromjsaid beam, and means-foractuating said scribed having' a rolled steel bottom plate, a castpair vof hangers geared together and pivotally hung from lsaidbeam, andclosu're gate shoes removably attached to said hangers.

T. DEAN.

' steel thimble piercing the latter and supported thereby, a beamdisposed above the "bottom of and extending transversely of saidthimble, a

